Green and white: Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day May 2008

– Posted in: Miscellaneous
20 comments
Image of variegated bulbous oat grass and white violets

Variegated bulbous oat grass, sweet white violet, and a bit of ‘White Nancy’ lamium in the lower left corner

Because of the warm April, a lot of the daffodils that were still blooming last year are done for this year. This is the “gap” time between the early blooming spring flowers and the big June extravaganza when all the experts say I should have lots of tulips blooming, but I don’t. I love tulips, but they prefer better draining soil than what I’ve got, and the plentiful rodents like to eat them. Instead, I seem to have a lot of green and white vignettes, such as the one above, and the one below.

Image of great white trillium and 'Looking Glass' brunnera

The foliage of Brunnera ‘Looking Glass’ looks well with the great white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

Other white flowers blooming now are Narcissus poeticus and N. ‘Thalia,’ as well as the narcissus I’m calling ‘Irish Laddie’ (all featured in last year’s May bloom day post). My double white lilac (variety unknown) has also started to open. It’s always the earliest.

New and Noteworthy

Image of creeping phlox, 'Waterperry' veronica, 'Curly Lace' daffodil

Creeping phlox and ‘Waterperry’ veronica adorn the Birthday Garden wall, while ‘Curly Lace’ daffodil gazes down on them both.

I just got that dainty ‘Waterperry’ veronica last fall, and had no idea it would complement the creeping phlox I got from a friend many years ago. The ‘Curly Lace’ daffodils are a new introduction from Brent & Becky.

Image of 'Victor Reiter' sea pink

This ‘Victor Reiter’ sea pink (Armeria maritima) also graces the base of the stone wall

Both the veronica and the sea pink are marketed as Plants That Work in Nooks & Crannies. If you have a stone wall like mine or need a little plant to tuck in somewhere, you might want to browse through their website.

Everything else

  • Johnny-jump-ups (Viola tricolor)
  • Seneca Hill hellebore, pale yellow with pink flush
  • plum colored hellebore, also from Seneca Hill Perennials
  • Rundy’s cherry tree
  • Tulipa bakeri ‘Lilac Wonder’. A species tulip that grows in the crocus bank.
  • grape hyacinths
  • The ‘Looking Glass’ brunnera growing next to the trilliums above has its first blossoms
  • forget-me-nots
  • Virginia bluebells
  • violets
  • The last bits of Corydalis solida
  • the first trollius blossom
  • purple-leaved ajuga

About the Author

Kathy Purdy is a colchicum evangelist, converting unsuspecting gardeners into colchicophiles. She gardens in rural upstate NY, which used to be USDA Hardiness Zone 4 but is now Zone 5. Kathy’s been writing since 4th grade, gardening since high school, and blogging since 2002. Find her on Instagram as kopurdy.

In its own way, frost may be one of the most beautiful things to happen in your garden all year . . . Don’t miss it. Like all true beauty, it is fleeting. It will grace your garden for but a short while this morning. . . . For this moment, embrace frost as the beautiful gift that it is.

~Philip Harnden in A Gardener’s Guide to Frost: Outwit the Weather and Extend the Spring and Fall Seasons

Comments on this entry are closed.

carolyn July 8, 2009, 11:05 am

I work as a nursery manager at a landscape co. in Michigan. As such I recieve many calalogs from growers to wholesalers and I have noticed more and more green flowered plants. I have long admired the ‘White Garden’ by Gertrude Jekell at Sisinghust Castle in England, and have often dreamed of creating one for myself…in the last two years I have been compiling a list of green, green and white plants and flowers. If anyone is interested in this list I would be gald to share. Also if anyone has any pics of such a garden I would love to see them.
Happy Planting
Carolyn

Ruthe December 7, 2008, 11:06 am

Have you ever seen green and white trilliun? Imagine my surprise when I found a bed of the large white trillium with many, many green and white ones. I think it may be a genetic defect.

Gardensbydesign May 28, 2008, 6:13 pm

Very pleasing to the eyes. Love the color combos and overall arrangement.

Mary Ann Newcomer May 26, 2008, 11:50 pm

Yeah! You got the pictograph and I love your list of what you won’t get for Mother’s Day. I am still thinking of my list of junk. Will get back to you on that.

The great white (trillium) almost made me swoon.

And guess what? My colchicums have sent up leaves! Finally!

MA

Lori May 23, 2008, 5:17 am

I’ve found myself admiring green and white combinations in my garden as well. One of my favorite pictures is of Shasta daisy blooms with white-flowering oxalis and spider plant. πŸ™‚

And as an added bonus, I love how the whites really glow at twilight.

Cindy May 19, 2008, 2:02 pm

Kathy, since we can’t grow Brunnera or Trilliums, I think that’s my favorite picture. Then again, that little veronica is awfully cute, too …

Bonnie May 17, 2008, 9:26 pm

Green and white looks so clean and fresh. I think that’s why I love lambs ear so much because it is that cool green/blue with white fuzz.

Brenda May 16, 2008, 8:48 pm

Those violets are absolutely beautiful and you are the second person I read about today with trilliums. Every spring I look for them in the wild, and take pictures, but have never grown them. SO pretty!

Kathy Purdy May 16, 2008, 2:28 pm

Hi, all–
The bulbous oat grass (Arrhenatherum elatius var. bulbosum ‘Variegatum’) came from Elisabeth Sheldon, author of Time and the Gardener, among others. I used to have it on the western side of a lilac, and almost lost it. It is much happier on the moister, shady north side of the house, though even there it starts looking pretty scruffy during the hottest, driest part of the summer. As long as we get autumn rains it bounces right back.

Mr. McGregor's Daughter May 16, 2008, 2:14 pm

I hope you don’t mind if I steal your idea, I mean I am inspired by your pairing of the Trillium & Brunnera ‘Looking Glass.’ I just bought the latter (on a whim) & couldn’t decide where to put it, so for now it’s in a container. (They say imitation is the highest form of flattery.)

Nan Ondra May 16, 2008, 10:55 am

Lovely combinations, Kathy! I so envy you that beautiful clump of variegated bulbous oat grass. I was able to grow it many years ago, but the summers here seem too hot for it now. Happy May Bloom Day!

Curtis May 16, 2008, 8:35 am

Green, white and silver. It looks like they are ment to complement each other.

Pam/Digging May 16, 2008, 8:01 am

The green and white combos do look refreshing and cool. I particularly like the oat grass and white violets together.

Gail May 16, 2008, 7:55 am

The green and white is wonderful, I need more white as I have a lot of green! Kathy, thanks for the link to Nooks and Crannies…that is just what I need for the new stone walls! I love blogging friends, they are always helpful! 1. add more white, 2. nooks and crannies

I am sighing with delight over your Trilliums…

Gail

Carol, May Dreams Gardens May 16, 2008, 7:33 am

I’ll chime in as a fan of green and white in the garden. It is soothing and restful, it cleanses our palette so we are ready for the riot of colors that is to come.

layanee May 16, 2008, 7:28 am

Silver and white together are so refreshing. I do get tired of bright yellow in spring and must try some ‘Thalia’s’. I did spray my bulbs with Neem before planting as I have heard that it does deter the rodents. No damage this year.

Annie in Austin May 15, 2008, 11:43 pm

Green and white works for me, too – love the leaves on the ‘Looking Glass’ Brunnera with the trillium.

Happy May, Kathy!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

eliz May 15, 2008, 9:44 pm

I have those violets too. If only they would bloom later and longer. The birthday garden wall is great!

mss @ Zanthan Gardens May 15, 2008, 9:32 pm

I love those crisp greens and whites. They look especially refreshing this time of year when it is so hot and humid in Austin.